


Mutation

by choerriie



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Established Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, F/F, Gen, Minor Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Minor Jo Haseul/Viian Wong | ViVi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24952090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choerriie/pseuds/choerriie
Summary: Son Hyejoo is not normal. She lives at a dormitory for gifted students, she wears dark red glasses, and she might be in love with her best friend. Oh, and she's a superhero who shoots lasers from her eyes.
Relationships: Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	1. The Jo Institute

Hyejoo woke with a start, her breathing heavy as her hands flew up towards her face, pressing her eyes closed. She felt around her bed, scrambling to find her visor which must have fallen off in the night. Her fingertips felt the cool touch of metal and she grabbed the visor, securing it over her eyes before heaving a heavy sigh. Her dreams had been riddled with the usual terror; red light flashing and her friends burning before her terrible eyes. Hyejoo sighed once more before throwing aside her covers and heading for the bathroom to start her day.

Today was, unfortunately, the first day of the new school year. Hyejoo just transferred to Incheon Collaborative College, a semi-high school semi-college campus that focused on integrating students into adult life. In Hyejoo’s eyes, it was just like any other school campus. The Jo Institute, however, was not. If you stopped someone on the street and asked about the Jo Institute, they would tell you it was a dormitory for gifted students that included extra teaching and out-of-school curriculum. According to Hyejoo, the Jo Institute was one big lie; a facade to hide freaks like her.

“Hey Boom Boom!” Hyejoo called through the bathroom door, her feet warm from the steam streaming through the space between the door and the floor. “I need the bathroom, please.” Silence followed for a few seconds before Hyejoo jumped back, barely catching the bright ball of light that had shot out from under the door. Seconds after she stepped back, the ball began sparking and burning. “Way to go, you messed up the carpet. Haseul will be thrilled.”

“Oh, come on!” said a voice from inside the bathroom, “Don’t be so serious, Joo, have some fun every once in a while.” Heejin, a girl slightly older and slightly leaner than Hyejoo slipped from the bathroom, toweling her hair as she smiled. “Bathroom’s all yours, Cyclops.”

Hyejoo scoffed at the nickname before stepping around Heejin and into the bathroom.

Walking into the kitchen, Hyejoo realized breakfast would be no less chaotic than the first hour of her day. Sooyoung, one of the older girls, was arguing with Yeojin, the youngest, hovering what appeared to be the last banana over both of their heads. Jinsoul was teleporting back and forth across the room. Her skin, which in public was altered with an appearance changing watch, was currently her original shade of blue, and her dark indigo hair hung into Yerim’s face, who was attempting to eat cereal quietly. Hyejoo was about to heave another one of her signature sighs, but stopped when she saw who was sitting at the window seat trying to get her attention. Chaewon, her best friend, was waving her over. 

Chaewon was gentle where Hyejoo was harsh. She was soft and kind and funny and she made Hyejoo’s time being Hyejoo bearable. She had recently dyed her hair from black to a bright blonde, matching her soft-as-new-snow complexion. Hyejoo thought it was beautiful, but she told Chaewon she looked like the cry-baby powerpuff girl. 

“I saved you a juicebox,” Chaewon said, snapping Hyejoo out of her thoughts. Hyejoo thumped down on the window seat next to Chaewon, accepting the juicebox that was handed to her. “Wait,” Chaewon said, tapping the juicebox. The lukewarm drink froze, ice crystalizing over the plastic in Hyejoo’s hand. 

Hyejoo chuckled, feeling light for the first time that day. “Thanks, Wonnie.” Chaewon opened her mouth to speak back, but a voice from the other side of the room stopped her.

“I have some words to say to everyone before you go back to school today.” The voice belonged to Haseul, the leader of the Jo Institute. She was sitting in her wheelchair, Kahei - the institute’s substitute mother figure - at her back. “Today is just another day,” Haseul said, smiling at the girls in the room, “so don’t feel any pressure to be a certain way. Because you live at the Institute, other students might feel the need to ask you questions. Remember the rule; answer as impersonally as possible. Also,” she seemed to look directly at Hyejoo, “remember to have fun today.”

“Thanks, Haseul,” rang several voices as everyone began filing out of the kitchen, heading outside to leave for the day. Hyejoo stood up to follow Chaewon, but was stopped by a hand on her arm. 

“Stay for a moment, Hyejoo,” said Haseul, looking at Chaewon, asking silently for the two of them to be alone. Chaewon seemed to get the message, telling Hyejoo that she’d save her a seat in Sooyoung’s car. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Hyejoo, afraid she had done something wrong without knowing.

Haseul smiled sweetly up at Hyejoo. “Nothing, we just have a present for you.” Kahei muttered an “oh, right” before reaching into a bag on the counter to pull out a small box. 

“This,” Kahei said, handing the box to Hyejoo, “is for you. Don’t worry, we already cleared up everything with the school. No one should give you any trouble for wearing them.”

Confused, Hyejoo opened the box. Sitting inside was a pair of glasses; a shiny black rim lined scarlet colored glass, just like the glass in Hyejoo’s visor. “Oh,” Hyejoo spoke, willing her voice to stay steady. The gift was sweet and thoughtful, but still a reminder of what she hated most about herself. “Thanks, unnies.”

Haseul looked at her as if she knew what she were thinking, which Hyejoo guessed she probably did. No one needed Haseul’s mind reading ability to know Hyejoo did not like her eyes. “Of course, Joo-yah. You should go, Chaewon is waiting for you.” 

Hyejoo gave the two older girls a curt smile before heading out the kitchen door. Before she caught up with Chaewon, she slipped on the new glasses, tucking her visor into her bag.

-

The car ride was hot and loud, Sooyoung refusing to turn the air up to keep Jiwoo - their resident lava girl - company while Chaewon complained loudly beside Hyejoo in the back seat. Even though the chaos was familiar to Hyejoo, she couldn’t help feeling nervous; every few seconds she found herself reaching to push up her glasses.

Stepping out of the car, Hyejoo stopped to stare at the campus in front of her. The buildings were tall and modern, much different from the old, sprawling mansion of the Institute. Every line was clean and sharp, and Hyejoo felt a cold chill run down her spine. She turned around to grab her bag, catching Chaewon’s eyes. Chaewon smiled at her, picking up her own bag before walking around the car and grabbing Hyejoo’s hand in her own. The two said goodbye to Jiwoo and Sooyoung and headed to their first class.

Hyejoo felt incredibly lucky that Chaewon’s first class was next to hers. Chaewon had walked her to her class, reminded her to text the group chat throughout the day if anything happened, and headed across the hall to Weather and Climate. Hyejoo wished Chaewon was taking this History of Music class with her instead, but she decided to forego moping and focus on finding a seat where she would have the lowest amount of interaction possible. She chose the far corner of the room next to a big window overlooking a large sports field. She wondered what sports the University had; she knew Sooyoung and Hyunjin were on the track team, and that Jinsoul was trying out this semester. She vaguely remembers Jungeun fighting with Kahei about joining, Kahei stating that no Institute member could use their abilities for normal --

“You’re not allowed to wear sunglasses inside.”

Hyejoo almost jumped as a voice startled her out of her thoughts. She turned to see a boy staring down at her. She was about to protest when he spoke again. “Nah, I’m just kidding. I: came over here because you look really lonely and I have no friends in this class. My name’s Yeonjun, what’s yours?”

Hyejoo studied the boy. His hair was bleached to a greenish yellow color, and several earrings hung from his ears, clashing with his oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. “Hyejoo,” she replied, trying not to sigh as he took the seat next to her. Her plan failed, and all she could do was hope he didn’t expect her to answer many questions. He began talking about some club he was in with his boyfriend, and Hyejoo began her imminent doze-off to the sound of the class.

After the class Yeonjun followed Hyejoo out of the class, talking about his last book club meeting and asking Hyejoo when she was free to talk about the latest Batman movie. She stood in the hallway listening, waiting for Chaewon to leave her class. Suddenly, she felt a cold hand slide into her own, smiling when she saw Chaewon beside her. 

“Oh, is this your girlfriend?” Yeonjun asked Hyejoo, nodding to Chaewon. 

“No, I-”

“Hi, I’m Yeonjun! Anyway, gotta go meet Soobin, bye, Hyejoo!” He waved at the girls before sprinting off down the hallway. Chaewon looked up at Hyejoo, chuckling when she saw her blush. 

Hyejoo’s next class was in a different building, and she said goodbye to Chaewon before walking off to find her classroom. She could feel eyes on her; she looked around and could see students staring at her red glasses while she walked inside. She stepped into the warm air of the courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief. Outside, her glasses were normal, at least in the summer. She walked to her next class in relative peace, soaking up the sun on her skin. When she reached the building of her next class, she almost smiled.


	2. The Dean's Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyejoo gets called to the Dean's office on the first day of school. Who is Dr. Kim?

_Professor Jo (Haseul): So how is everyone’s day going?_

_Jubilee (Kahei): The house is so quiet without you kids TT_

_Shadowcat (Yerim): School is going great! I was thinking about joining the fencing club!_

_Multiple (Hyunjin): Track practice starts soon, but we have this week off thank GOD_

  
  


Hyejoo stared down at her phone, thankful to have a distraction from the loud buzzing of the dining hall. She was on a break between classes, and she had stopped by to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to her precalculus course. 

_Rogue (Yeojin): Ooh what sport should I join…_

_Multiple (Hyunjin): None._

_Rogue (Yeojin): >:((( _

_[IMPORTANT] SON HYEJOO, we request your presence in…_

Hyejoo paused at the new notification. It was an email from the school. She felt a chill run up her spine; had she already messed up on day one? She hesitated before clicking on the notification.

_[IMPORTANT] SON HYEJOO, we request your presence in the Dean’s Office. It is located in the Jung building, room 209. Thank you._

Hyejoo stared at her phone. Well, at least she knew where the building was, and she didn’t have any classes for another hour or so. She slung her bag over her shoulder, tossed her plate into the used pile, and headed out the door. 

The Dean’s office was unlike many of the campus’s buildings. It was old and decaying, the curved walls and stained ceiling reminding Hyejoo of the buildings she imagined from her fantasy books. She climbed the rickety stairs to the second story, tiptoeing her way across the creaking floor to room 209. She peered into the office to see a dark and empty desk, a sleek and silver laptop contrasting the dingy atmosphere of the building. “Hello?” Hyejoo all but whispered, taking a gentle step into the room.

“Yes, hello, Hyejoo,” rang a voice from the hallway behind her. Hyejoo jumped, whipping around to see a surprisingly young woman staring at her. The woman smiled, her long red hair pulled into a knot at the top of her head. “I’m Dr. Kim. Please, have a seat.”

Hyejoo stepped fully into the room, hesitating before lowering herself into the floral-patterned chair across from the office desk. Dr. Kim circled the table before sitting down in her large, cushiony seat. Hyejoo thought it looked something like a throne.

“Hyejoo, my name is Kim Hyuna, and I’m the Dean of Students here at Incheon Collective College. Do you know why you’re here?”

Hyejoo shook her head slowly. Somewhere in the back of her brain, she heard Haseul’s reminder; share no personal information.

“Well,” Dr. Kim continued, taking a sip from a teacup on her desk, “I know you live at the Institute, and we want to make sure all of our students know they are welcome here.” She paused to look at Hyejoo, as if she were studying her reaction. “We pride ourselves on our gifted youngsters, and the Institute certainly provides us with many talented students. How are you liking your time here so far?”

Hyejoo paused before answering. “It’s nice,” she answered quietly, thinking of the boy she had met earlier and the meal she had just eaten.

Dr. Kim smiled. “Good. Well, I’m afraid that’s all! I wanted to make sure our newest Institute student was well incorporated into our student body.” She looked at Hyejoo as if she were expecting a ‘but’ or an ‘actually.’ Hyejoo stayed quiet. “Have a good day, Hyejoo.”

“Thank you, Dr. Kim.”

Back outside the building, Hyejoo’s brows furrowed as she made her way to her final class of the day. What was that? Did the Dean really do that with all of the Institute students? She tried to shake it off and go about her day, but...something felt... _odd_ about Dr. Kim. Maybe she just wasn’t used to adults being so nice to her. Whatever it was, she was sure it meant nothing. She decided not to message the group chat; if it was important she would tell them later on.

-

“So you’re telling me,” Yeojin whined, her expression sour, “that Yerim unnie gets to join the fencing team but I can’t wrestle? Why!?”

Haseul sighed, a hand reaching up to rub at her brow. “Because, little Rogue, you would have to be glove-less, meaning you would be touching them. You know that’s not allowed.”

“But Yerim can _phase through the swords,_ why does _she_ get to do fencing?” Yeojin crossed her arms, leaning against the wall of the hallway. 

“Because _I’m_ trustworthy,” Yerim chimed in from the study, the open door allowing her voice to carry into Haseul and Yeojin’s conversation.

“ _Girls,_ ” Haseul sighed, running her hands through her hair. “We can talk about this later. I have to go use Cerebro. I heard there were new mutants in town and I want to make sure they’re not up to trouble. If you need me, you know where to find me.” She turned and began wheeling herself to the elevator, ignoring Yeojin’s whines of protest.

Hyejoo sighed at her homework, her own seat in the study becoming uncomfortable after an hour of sitting and staring aimlessly at her textbook. She leaned her head back on her chair, rubbing her eyes. Why couldn’t precalculus be as easy as shooting a laser beam?

“Tough day?” Hyejoo opened her eyes to see Jinsoul had teleported into the seat across from her. Yerim and Yeojin had wandered off, so it was just the two of them in the study. 

“Sort of,” Hyejoo replied, flipping pages randomly in her textbook. “It was just...weird.”

Jinsoul frowned. “How so?”

Hyejoo looked around, making sure they were alone. Hyejoo trusted all of the girls, really, but Jinsoul seemed to understand Hyejoo in a way that many other mutants couldn’t. Both of their mutations were visible. Hyejoo had to shield her eyes 24/7, and Jinsoul was _blue._ They just _got_ each other. “Promise not to tell anyone?”

Jinsoul chuckled at the secrecy. “Yeah, promise.”

Hyejoo told her everything about the Dean’s office, and how it made her feel weird. Jinsoul listened, but didn’t seem surprised. In fact, she seemed like she already knew what Hyejoo was going to say.

“Yeah, she did that to me, too, when I first came to the Institute. I tried to tell Jungeun about it; I thought she must do it to every Institute kid. Jungeun had no idea what I was talking about.”

Hyejoo shifted in her seat. Why the two of them? Why not every Institute kid or none at all? Hyejoo couldn’t help the pit that began forming in her stomach. Maybe she shouldn’t think about it so much.

“Hey, get dressed,” Hyunjin called from the doorway. “Kahei’s calling for training.”

“Aw, man. Really?” Jinsoul whined, already tying up her deep blue hair into a ponytail. “It’s the first day of school!”

-

The girls were split into two groups of five. Each group had a ‘treasure,’ which was one person they were meant to protect. The other group had to try and retrieve the treasure before theirs got stolen. Hyejoo was paired with Yeojin, Sooyoung, Heejin, and Jinsoul. Yeojin was the treasure. On the other side, Yerim was the treasure for Jiwoo, Chaewon, Hyunjin, and Jungeun. The game took place in one of their training rooms; an obstacle course was set for the girls, complete with multiple levels of ground and walls to hide behind. Kahei blew a whistle, and the game began.

As soon as she heard the shriek of the whistle, Hyejoo was running. She knew she could count on Sooyoung and Jinsoul to protect Yeojin. She and Heejin were on the offense. Hyejoo ran straight for the other side of the arena, dodging Jiwoo’s balls of magma as she ran. She reached up to brush a finger across the side of her visor, sending a laser towards Jiwoo. She saw her jump aside, and took her chance to run towards Yerim. Inches away, Hyejoo lunged forward, ready to grab Yerim and --

Hyejoo ran head first into a wall of ice. 

She could hear Chaewon’s laughter ring in her ears. She burnt down the wall, ducking as Heejin sent an energy blast over her head. Yerim phased through it, yelping as Jungeun took her hand and sped away.

“Damn it!” Hyejoo whispered, hitting the ground with her fist. She was just about to run after Yerim and Jungeun when a yell from her own team turned her head. Sooyoung was floating Yeojin high above both teams, and Heejin was losing a battle to around 4 Hyunjin’s. Hyejoo stood up, shooting lasers towards the Hyunjin’s and running into the fighting.

The battle lasted over an hour, finally ending when Jinsoul was able to teleport Yerim to her team’s side of the arena. The girls all lay on the ground panting as Kahei praised them for parts of their performance and pointed out their flaws.

“Overall,” Kahei said, looking down at her clipboard of notes, “good job today. Everyone go shower before dinner. Tomorrow, we--”

“Everyone stop what you’re doing!” Haseul wheeled into the arena, stopping on the viewing platform next to Kahei. The girls looked at her with confusion. Hyejoo’s heart began to race.

“Haseul, wha--”

“There’s mutant activity on campus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter! I'm super inspired with this story lately. You can follow me on twt @ choerriie !!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This story was originally a social media AU on twitter, but I wanted to re-inspire myself to finish this story by making it a full AU! I hope you enjoy~


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